Firemen fighting the blaze engulfing Betong shophouses. – Photo courtesy of Bomba Sarawak
KUCHING: Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas wants Sarawak Energy Berhad (SEB) to inspect the wiring system at old shophouses following a fire which gutted four units in Betong yesterday.
The Bukit Saban assemblyman, who is also former Betong MP, said he hoped all shophouse residents would cooperate with SEB during the course of the inspection.
“My advice to the people is to take precaution and look into the wiring system. If it’s too old, please get it replaced.
“I have directed SEB to inspect the wiring system and I hope the residents will cooperate with SEB,” he said when contacted yesterday after visiting the site of the razed shophouses yesterday morning. Uggah also said it is unclear if faulty wiring triggered the fire as the Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) is still probing the cause.
Uggah (front, second left) being briefed by the firefighters at the site of the shophouse fire.
“They (Bomba) have not made any assessment of the loss of properties but fortunately, the properties and the goods inside are all insured and this will contribute to minimising losses. However, the incident is still traumatic (for those directly affected),” he said, adding the affected shophouses were erected before the Japanese Occupation in the 1940s.
Yesterday’s fire was the third this month in Betong town. The first incident took place in one of the rooms at Betong Hospital earlier yesterday, preceded by a fire at the living quarters of a shophouse in Pasar Baru Betong 10 days earlier, Uggah said.
He disclosed the first two cases are still being probed by Bomba, while pointing out that it would be ‘interesting’ to find out how the fire at the hospital could have happened in the first place.
On top of replacing old wiring system, Uggah said people should not conduct open burning or indiscriminately discard cigarette butts in view of the current dry spell.
Betong residents gather at the site of the shophouse fire.
“Now is the dry season and it is therefore better for people to be careful all the time.” The 9am incident yesterday saw four double-storey semi-concrete shophouses at Pasar Lama Betong gutted, with no reports of injuries received. Two other adjoining shophouses were spared after firefighters created a firebreak to prevent the flames from spreading.
Bomba in a statement said it was still probing the cause and have yet to ascertain the total loss.
A total of 22 firemen from the Betong and Saratok stations were involved in the operation, with assistance from the police, Civil Defence Force, Sesco and Betong volunteer fire brigade.
Meanwhile, Layar assemblyman Gerald Rentap Jabu when contacted also called on the people to be extra careful during the current hot and dry weather. On the next course of action, he said he will need to discuss the matter first with Uggah as well as the affected shop owners and operators, while also praising Bomba and others involved in the operation for their efforts in containing the fire and preventing even greater loss of property.
The fire at its height.
At the same time, PKR Betong chief Vernon Kedit said he would be visiting the site of the shophouse fire as well as Betong Hospital today (Tuesday) before meeting with Bomba Betong personnel and the officers from Betong District Office to discuss the matter.
“In view that there have been three fire cases in Betong town area in a short space of time, I hope there would be greater public awareness of the importance of fire prevention in Sarawak.
“Yesterday’s fire warrants a thorough investigation and serious measures need to be taken. Unfortunately, a separate fire had also started earlier in Betong Hospital about 2km away (from the town area).
“Bomba personnel had just finished dousing the fire at the hospital when they had to rush to the town to address the shophouse fire,” he said.